Well-known Member

Well I was brought up with both sports, took part and watched them both avidly. Now i know rugby was alwaus that poncey middle class sport played by ex Public school boys but today with the advent of professionalism its different - it belongs to all of us.What I want to know is what makes one better than the other. For me rugby has the edge because for one the fans are faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar better behaved, ie none of this hating the other team nonsense. In fact you could be in Cornish Pirates ground watching htem grinding a result against Bedford and the atmosphere is all in good cheer. weheheeeey!Another thing they are NOT paid obscene sums of money playing what is just a sport.So its got to be rugby numero uno and Gloucester will win the playoffs of that I am sure.

RL?? well they kind of removed what made the sport interesting ie lineouts rucks and mauls and they will keep on stopping .Even Shaun Edwards got fed up with it so he is now a good boy with Wasps Have you noticed the Jocks and the Leaks havent exactly embraced "the gone funny" code. Tells you everything

I am both a British person and a European.No one has the right to make me choose one over the other

Well-known Member

I think Football just edges it for me, I have a bigger interest week in and week out. When it comes to International though, with the exception of a few matches, I would rather watch Rugby as its much more competitive.

Love them both though.

As much as I do watch RL (and the Super League can be great), recent World Cup draw shows up t limitations where NZ, Aus & Eng got put in a group with Papa New Guinea with the top 3 progressing to the Semi Final

Active Member

Have watched football for years and only really got into rugby a couple of years ago. I love watching rugby now and would watch most decent matches over the majority of soccer matches. - the only soccer matches i would never miss would be when man utd are playing or a major final or tournament. I think the coverage of rugby is great by sky, rte and the bbc. Honest and inciteful panelists, unlike the majority of idiots in football.

Which is better.......... id probobly still say football simply because im such a big supported of utd

Well-known Member

Go to a rugby match I can guarantee you wont regret it( well almost). My only gripe is that there is still a number amongst the fans who adopt a classicist attitude particularly against football which they refer as oikball nad all the fans are chavs in their view. They really need to be challenged big time as sport should have nothing to do with class. Rugby is the new football- peoples sport

I am both a British person and a European.No one has the right to make me choose one over the other

its only crap if you dont understand it. Its actually a very skillfull sport which is often very exciting .
Similarities
Both team sports , both involve a ball , both have tackles, penalties and infringements.Both involve the use of feet although rugby is more about hands.Most importantly both engender great passion from a watching crowd although Rugby NEVER has any nastiness amongst its fans.

I am both a British person and a European.No one has the right to make me choose one over the other

Well-known Member

Rubbish. I understand Archery perfectly well, but I think it's crap to watch.

Isn't this about the 3rd time in 3 years you've created this thread LGS?

Some people like Rugby, some like Football, some like both. Is anybody wrong? No. Do they need you to convince them otherwise? I doubt it.

Click to expand...

Hmmm
Archery - bloke stands in front of a target and aims an arrow so that its gets as near as possible to the bullseye. Not much to undersatnd there. Mostly a participant sport and fairly boring to watch
rugby union- an exciting high energy ,high physical contact sport full of rules and infringements which many would find difficult to understand therefore the factor would probably kick in just as with American football. (Err whats that all about?)
My question is to do with which and why. I happen to like both sports but Rugby gets the nod for the reasons i gave.

I am both a British person and a European.No one has the right to make me choose one over the other

I used to play scrum half for my school mainly as i was literally forced to do so
by sadistic sports teachers.
so i understand it , i just think its a crap
hooray henry(well union anyway) sport
and is snooze inducing in the extreme

Well-known Member

I used to play scrum half for my school mainly as i was literally forced to do so
by sadistic sports teachers.
so i understand it , i just think its a crap
hooray henry(well union anyway) sport
and is snooze inducing in the extreme

Click to expand...

you make fair point. No one should be forced into any sport. I was forced into cross country running and have hated running ever since.

RU was a largely public school( except in Wales) sport but its changing now that profesionalism is here. The horrays, although still evident are being quietly shunted into a corner and not before time.

I am both a British person and a European.No one has the right to make me choose one over the other

Standard Member

I enjoy watching rugby - used to enjoy playing it as I was big for my age, but then the rest grew as big and so I didn't have it all my own way anymore.

I also enjoy watching footy - still enjoying playing it.

Which do I prefer to watch? Both, but a big rugby international takes it for me. The world cup later this year will be a good one! (After the group stages)

Football has more than just the edge when it comes to which most people would prefer to watch. It is a true global sport. Rugby (like cricket) has about 8 teams on a similar pegging at the top, with so called developing nations catching up! (who have been developing for ages and can and will never catch up)

Well-known Member

I enjoy watching rugby - used to enjoy playing it as I was big for my age, but then the rest grew as big and so I didn't have it all my own way anymore.

I also enjoy watching footy - still enjoying playing it.

Which do I prefer to watch? Both, but a big rugby international takes it for me. The world cup later this year will be a good one! (After the group stages)

Football has more than just the edge when it comes to which most people would prefer to watch. It is a true global sport. Rugby (like cricket) has about 8 teams on a similar pegging at the top, with so called developing nations catching up! (who have been developing for ages and can and will never catch up)

Click to expand...

Argentina and Italy have made greats strides

I am both a British person and a European.No one has the right to make me choose one over the other

Well-known Member

Could you specify Union next time - i thought this was about League as union is like watching paint dry so how can you compare it to the excitement of football???

Your point regarding the fans is a good one - you rarely get any trouble at rugby matches (as opposed to ragby whereas football does seem to involve more of a hatred between the fans.

In terms of entertainment, football can be very dull at times but most games are entertaining. Ragby Onion is too stop start for me, penalty after penalty. I like tries so i much prefer Rugby League tm. Neither code will ever be anywhere near as popular as football though

Well-known Member

Could you specify Union next time - i thought this was about League as union is like watching paint dry so how can you compare it to the excitement of football???

Your point regarding the fans is a good one - you rarely get any trouble at rugby matches (as opposed to ragby whereas football does seem to involve more of a hatred between the fans.

In terms of entertainment, football can be very dull at times but most games are entertaining. Ragby Onion is too stop start for me, penalty after penalty. I like tries so i much prefer Rugby League tm. Neither code will ever be anywhere near as popular as football though

Click to expand...

yes but without lineouts and proper scrums (not to say rucks and mauls) Roogby League has been emasculated and why stop after every tackle? Surely you want to get stuck in and rip the ball back dont you?
Both footy and rugby can be real boring but a good game of RU takes some beating The All Blacks at their best or Fiji sevens team are awesome.

I am both a British person and a European.No one has the right to make me choose one over the other

Well-known Member

yes but without lineouts and proper scrums (not to say rucks and mauls) Roogby League has been emasculated and why stop after every tackle? Surely you want to get stuck in and rip the ball back dont you?

Click to expand...

No, no, no

They are two totally separate sports. You obviously do not understand the complexity of the the game.
In RL they do not stop after every tackle.

As for what's the better sport, Rugby (both codes).
Football is more acting than sport these days, and bores me in the extreme..even the England 'shows'.

Click to expand...

Well no its only Hraleqiuns down here after all btt watching it on telly they do seem to stop start a lot I mean a bloke's got the ball and he is runnin into what he hopes is space but he gets stopped by a couple of hefties.He wiggles and shakes his legs a lot which tells his opponents to let go of him they kind of stand back to let him play the ball back when they should be contesting for posession surely.As long as they stay on their feet and dont come in from the side its ok. Ball is not turned over so team in posession ghoes through the phases until the fly half gets fed up and kicks for position.Aaaah this is where yerr 6'8" monsters come in -lineout time. Great sport!

I am both a British person and a European.No one has the right to make me choose one over the other

Senior Moderator

yes but without lineouts and proper scrums (not to say rucks and mauls) Roogby League has been emasculated and why stop after every tackle? Surely you want to get stuck in and rip the ball back dont you?
Both footy and rugby can be real boring but a good game of RU takes some beating The All Blacks at their best or Fiji sevens team are awesome.

Click to expand...

I still remember my first trip when I was 7 to watch the Saints play at Knowsley road. Got a tour behind the doors as well (school trip). Exciting then (despite the pouring rain) and its just as exciting now imo. Of course I nearly fell down those bloody steps. No railings!

Oooooh look over there

Opinions expressed here are my own and do not represent those of the AV Forums or its associated websites | Trading Rules